Bank of Ghana (BoG) Governor Dr Johnson Pandit Asiama has disclosed that he resigned from the Board of Directors of the Ghana Gold Board (GoldBod) about five months ago and has since stopped attending its meetings.
Dr Asiama made the clarification following concerns raised by the New Patriotic Party (NPP) over his reported membership of the GoldBod Board and whether his roles at the central bank and the gold purchasing institution could create a potential conflict of interest.
Speaking to journalists, the BoG Governor said he had already stepped down from the GoldBod Board and no longer participates in its activities.
“I resigned from the GoldBod Board about five months ago or so. I do not attend board meetings at the GoldBod at all,” he said.
Dr Asiama also explained that the Ghana Gold Board Act, 2025 (Act 1140), does not require the Governor of the Bank of Ghana to personally serve on the GoldBod Board.
According to him, the legislation provides for the Bank of Ghana to be represented on the board, but that representative can either be the Governor or another official of the central bank with the required rank.
“The law that governs the activities of the GoldBod, there’s a provision there for the Bank of Ghana to be represented either by the Governor or any other official up to the rank of a director,” he said.
He added that the law therefore does not make the personal presence of the BoG Governor on the GoldBod Board mandatory.
The clarification follows concerns raised by the NPP about the relationship between the Bank of Ghana and GoldBod.
Former Finance Minister and NPP Member of Parliament for Karaga, Dr Mohammed Amin Adam, raised the issue during an NPP press briefing on September 1.
The concerns centred on the central bank’s involvement in financing GoldBod’s gold-purchasing operations, as well as questions surrounding reported losses linked to the domestic gold purchase programme.
Dr Asiama’s explanation draws a distinction between the Bank of Ghana’s institutional representation on the GoldBod Board and the Governor’s personal membership of the board.
Under his interpretation of Act 1140, the Bank of Ghana can maintain its representation through another senior official even when the Governor is not personally serving on the board.
The matter comes amid broader public discussion about GoldBod’s operations and its financial relationship with the central bank.
Dr Asiama’s disclosure that he resigned about five months ago also clarifies that he has not been participating in GoldBod board meetings during the period in which the recent concerns over his membership have been raised.
Source: Thepressradio.com
